With the addition of two new partners with extensive experience in the entertainment field, Hiscock & Barclay, LLP has created a new Sports & Entertainment Practice Area. Thomas I. Mandelbaum and Monika A. Tashman will join other Hiscock & Barclay attorneys with background in sports and other related fields in this new group.
Mandelbaum and Tashman join Hiscock & Barclay from the recently disbanded Dreier, LLP law firm, where Mandelbaum was co-chair of the firm's Entertainment Practice Area. Prior to that they were both partners at the law firm of Selverne, Mandelbaum & Mintz, LLP.
The new practice area will be co-chaired by Mandelbaum and another partner, Robert J. Lanza, who represents a significant number of professional athletes and teams and is former General Counsel of the National Basketball Players Association. Mandelbaum, Tashman and Lanza are all based in the firm's New York City office.
This multi-disciplinary practice group also includes Tim Green, a best selling novelist, former linebacker and defensive end for the Atlanta Falcons and a well-known sports commentator. Gerry Meehan, former player-captain and general manager of the Buffalo Sabres NHL hockey team, will also be a part of the practice, as will a number of other attorneys with a wide array of experience relevant to serving the needs of artists, professional athletes and others in the sports and entertainment industry.
Mandelbaum and Tashman typically represent artists, producers and independent record labels and work with clients in the music, film, television, publishing and interactive media industries, among others. They provide their clients with career and business guidance, negotiate and draft contracts, help build business relationships and put together deals.
Both Mandelbaum and Tashman pointed to the synergies that exist between their practices and Hiscock & Barclay as among the key reasons for their joining the firm. They now have access to a full range of legal services for their clients at a pricing structure that can only be offered by a regional law firm with substantially lower cost structure. The firm has strong and applicable expertise in the areas of copyright and trademark litigation, intellectual property protection and licensing, tax and wealth management planning, business structuring and commercial contracts. In addition, the firm's entrepreneurial approach will enable them to continue working with both established clients and those who are in the early stages of their careers and to provide outstanding quality legal services at rates that are more competitive than some larger firms.
"There are few firms that have a deep understanding of the legal and business issues facing clients in the sports and entertainment fields. The addition of these two partners – combined with the talent we already had in connection with sports – places us in an excellent position to meet the needs of these clients," said John Langan, the firm's managing partner. "Tim and Monika bring a wealth of experience handling a number of very prominent clients and we are proud to have them join our growing New York City office."
Hiscock & Barclay opened its New York City office in September, with six attorneys. The 210-lawyer firm also has offices in Albany, Boston, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Toronto and Washington, D.C.
Thomas "Tim" Mandelbaum concentrates his practice on entertainment law issues surrounding music, film, television, new media, literary and intellectual property. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Entertainment Law Initiative of National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) and is a member of the board of directors and legal committee of the Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies (AARC). In addition, he has served as a guest lecturer for the Practicing Law Institute on Negotiations of Advanced Recording Agreements, NARAS, the Copyright Association of America, the Texas State Bar Association and at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival.
Monika Tashman represents, negotiates and counsels clients on a diverse range of agreements and transactions in new media, internet, film and television, among others. She is also well versed in brand and enterprise development and her clients include gold and platinum musical artists, prominent actors, authors, producers, directors, writers, entertainment entrepreneurs and industry executives. Ms. Tashman is a frequent speaker on entertainment law issues and has served on several panels, including MOBFest, American Music Search and The Media Reporter. She was nominated as the Female Executive of the Year by the National Association of Black Female Executives in Music and Entertainment in 2007.
Hiscock & Barclay, LLP, listed as a "Top 250 Firm" by The National Law Journal, is a full-service, 210-attorney law firm, with offices throughout the major cities of New York State, as well as in Boston, Washington, D.C. and Toronto, providing comprehensive legal and business counsel to a diverse client base in 29 practice areas. Established in 1855, the Firm's goal remains providing the highest quality legal services to clients through responsive, timely and cost-effective representation.